Stratifier with suction separation



Feb. 25, 1958 T. F. GARLAND 2,824,644

STRATIFIER WITH SUCTION SEPARATION Filed Jan. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 22 PLJ? T. F. GARLAND STRATIFIER WITH SUCTION SEPARATION I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 25, 1958 limited STRATIFIER WITH SUCTION SEPARATION Theodore F. Garland, Fargo, N. Dak.

Application January 15, 1954, Serial No. 404,318

8 Claims. (Cl. 209-423) structurally sound. However, foreign materials such as shale, coal or other light-weight, porous materials have little cohesive strength and are subject to scaling, chipping and rapid deterioration. If such materials are intermixed with gravel when the same is used in concrete or the like, the strength of the concrete will be substantially reduced as compared with concrete made with gravel which is free of these impurities. It is, therefore, desirable to remove these undesirable materials from the gravel with which they are mixed.

In the past, iron ore and other gravity-separation equipment preparatory to refining of metals and the like has been used, but all of this equipment is relatively expensive and requires a substantial amount of maintenance and, therefore, is not suitable for gravel which must, of course, sell for a relatively low price. Gravel is also extremely hard and the abrasive action thereof on the equipment requires a relatively high degree of maintenance.

It is, therefore, an object to provide a simple and inexpensive method and apparatus particularly designed Fatent ing the submerged mixture to cause the lighter materials to accumulate in a layer above the heavy materials, and removing and discharging the layer of light materials by siphon action, and the method may also include collecting the water discharged with the solid materials, and recirculating the water back into the system.

A still further object of my invention is to provide apparatus for combinatively washing gravel products and the like and separating them from lighter foreign materials mixed therewith.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear" from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my apparatus showing portions thereof in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of my apparatus showing portions thereof in end elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of my invention.

One embodiment of my invention, as shown in Figs. 1 through 3, includes a liquid-confining tank 10 being filled with a liquid 11 such as water. The liquid is supplied under pressure to the tank by means of a water supply pipe 12 which has suitable means, such as a float valve 13 connected therewith for maintaining a constant level of water in the tank. The float valve will then stop the filling to prevent the water from running over the top.

A number of separating beds or trays 14 are shiftably mounted in the tank 10 below the level of the water for efficiently cleaning gravel products and the like by separator constructed to permit low initial cost as well as high efiiciency of operation.

It is another object to provide a novel and highly efiicient method of cleaning gravel by removing the undesirable light weight intermixed materials therefrom.

Still another object of my invention is to provide in apparatus for separating materials having different specific gravities, a system for separately withdrawing the lighter materials and the heavier materials without running either through a hydraulic pump.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a gravity separator of the submerged type being particularly adapted for gravel and other abrasive materials and designed to remove solely by siphon action, the light weight layer of accumulated materials without running the same through a hydraulic pump and subsequently removing substantially all of the solid particles,

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel and highly efficient method of removing light weight foreign materials from gravel or the like by submerging the mixed gravel and lighter materials in a liquid, shaktherein. The beds 14 are all connected together and are suspended from the top of said tank by means of supporting arms 15. The separating beds are substantially horizontally disposed in the tank and are vertically spaced along the length of the vertically disposed supporting arms 15. In the form shown, these beds are substantially longer than they are Wide, being substantially rectangular, and have a perforate bottom with many small perforations therein which will allow water to pass therethrough but will not allow passage of any of the materials carried by the beds. In the form shown, the

beds have an open top and upstanding material-confining side walls.

The supporting arms 15 are swingably mounted at their upper .ends on a pivot support 16 which is connected to the moving linkage of a pitman oscillating mechanism designated by letter P in Figs. 1-3, the oscillator being affixed to and mounted on top of the tank 10. The oscillator consists in a rotating shaft 17 powered by an engine or motor (not shown) and a rotating arm 18 affixed to the shaft 17. A link 19 is pivotally connected at one of its ends to arm 18 and is pivotally connected at its other end to crank arm 20. A link or bar 22 pivotally interconnects crank arm 20 and crank arm 21 so as to give crank arms 20 and 21 substantially the same movement as they oscillate respectively about the;

axes of parallel shafts 23 and 24 to which they areaffixed. Lever arms 25 and 26 are also aflixed at one aresuspended from pivot supports 16. As the arm 18- rotates with shaft 17, it imparts an oscillatory movement to the crank arms 2% and 21 which move in an are about the axes of shafts 23 and 24. Lever arms 25 and 26, also being affixed to the shafts 23 and 24, also have an oscillatory movement to the supporting arms 15 afiixed' to the trays 14 and therefore also impart the oscillatory movement to the beds 14. The beds 14 have an oscillatory movement consisting of a combined vertical move.

ment and a movement longitudinal of the beds.

Patented Feb. 25, 1958 The oscillatory movement of the beds imparted by the pitman oscillator P causes thematerial supplied theretoto move along the beds awayfrom theingressends 27" toward the-egress ends 29 of the beds. This oscillating movement of the beds 14 also causes'the lighter of the materials which in this instance consists inshale,

coal and other foreign material found in natural gravel, to rise in a layer above the heaviermaterials which consists in gravel and graded silicious metal.

As the materials move in the beds toward the egress end 29 thereof, the layer of lighter materials is picked up and discharged through siphon tubes 30, these being at least one such siphon tube associated with each bed and the egress end thereof. The inlet end of the siphon tubes 30. comprises a housing 31 which is semi-circular in shape and hollow and communicates with the siphon tube 30. r The lower end of the housing 31 has an elongated slot or openingtherein extending transversely substantially across the width of the beds at the egress end thereof, and is disposed in spaced relation above the bottom of the bed and above the layer of heavy silicious materials moving longitudinally of the bed.

Obviously, the cross sectional interior size of the siphon tubes is necessarily several-fold larger than the size of the largest of the pieces of lighter material to be carried thereby. The siphon tubes 30 extend through the side wails of the tank and extend to their outlet ends which are disposed outside the tank and substantially below the surface elevation of the water in the tank. Each of the siphon tubes 30 have means, such as the adjustable flow nozzles 30a, for regulating the flow of water and solid materials which pass through the tubes.

The difference in the head of water between the surface thereof in the tank and the outlet end of each siphon tube 30 causes water to flow into the inlet housing 31 and through thesiphcn tube 30. As the waterflows into the elongated slot of the housing 31, it passes in close proximity with and through the layer of lighter materials adjacent to the slot in housing 31. The water flowing into the housing 31 picks up and carries with it the upper layer of lighter materials in the bed and carries this material out ofthe tank. Obviously, if necessary, there maybe more than one siphon tube employed with each of the beds.

After the layer of light materials have been removed from the oscillating.bed.14,- the layer of heavy materials continuesto movetoward the egress end of the tray. At; the; egress end 29 of the beds the heavy materials arespilled. over theend thereof and are discharged into a .hopper 32-Ewhich collects said heavier silicious materials. This heavy material moves downwardly by gravity through the, hoppers 32 and through conveying tubes 33. In the form shown, a pair of conveying tubes 33 may be connected to each of said hoppers to carry the heavy materials from the beds to various blending receptacles 34.

Shiftably mounted in each of the hoppers 32 is a gate 35 which forms an obstruction in the hopper at a desired location along the width thereof to direct a certain proportion of the heavy materials falling into the hopper into one conveying tube or another and into one blending receptacle or another. Each of the gates 35 ispivotally mounted in the bottom of therespective hopper and the position of the gate may ,be controlled, by meansof I the tank, the outlet ends thereof being disposed substantially below the surface elevation of the water in the tank. Obviously, the cross sectional size of these tubes 38 is necessarily several-fold larger than the largest of the pieces of heavy materials to be carried thereby. The difference of head of the water between the surface elevation thereof in the tank and the end of the discharge tube 38 causes water to fiow through the tube 38 and in closeproximity with. and. through the heavy materials connected in blending receptacles 34. The water so flowing into and throughtube '38 carries the heavy material collected in the blending receptacles 34 along with it through the tube 38 to be discharged outside of the tank.

Both water and solid material flow through both the siphon tubes 30 and the heavy material discharge tubes 38. The form of my invention shown includes suitable means, such as a screen or filter 39, onto which is. discharged the solid materials and water from the siphon tubes and discharge tubes. The water passes through screen 39 into a vessel 49. The solid materials are retained by'the screen and will slide therefrom to be collected 'for use or disposal as the case may be. A separate section of the screen is provided to receive the discharge from each of the siphon tubes 30 and the discharge tubes 38. Substantially all of the abrasive materials are removed from the water by the screen 39.

The water from which the solids have been removed is collected in the vessel 40, by means of a hydraulic pump-41- through pipes 42 and is recirculated back to tank 19. Pump '41, and pipes 42, are of such size as to be able to carry the full water discharge of all the siphon tubes and discharge tubes from the tank 10 to the screens 39; The pump 41 need not be of any special type because it pumps merely the water from which substantially all the abrasive solid materials have been removed by means of the screens 39.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that my new method for separating gravel and the like from lighter foreign materials mixed therewith consists in the following specific steps:

Substantially horizontally confining and submerging the mixture of gravel and lighter materials in a liquid; moving the mixture through the liquid and simultaneously shaking the same to accumulate the lighter materials of the mixture into a upper layer disposed above a lower layer ofheavier materiaL'such as the gravel; and collecting and discharge the layer of lighter materials by-siphon action.

My new-method may also include the following additional specific steps:

Separatingthe water from the solids carried thereby and collecting the water; pumping the solid-free water thus collected back into the separating system to recirculate the same.

It-will-be seen thatI have provideda simple and easily manufactured gravity-type separator for gravel and the like. Its initial cost is comparatively low in that the use of siphon-tubes for carrying abrasive material has eliminated the need for expensive abrasive propelling pumps.

It shouldalso be noted that .I' have provided in my separating apparatusoscillating material-carrying beds which' not only separate the lighter of the materials from theheavierrnaterials, but also circulate water around the materialsin asevere scrubbing action and cause them to becleansedas they pass along the bed.

I also provide a drain pipe 43. in the bottom of tank lfl'for-carrying the sedimentthat will be collected there as the watep circula-tes-through and scrubs the gravel in thetbedsldgsaid and-other-sediment will be freed. This sediment .willacollect in the bottom of the tank 10 and must -be;re moved. Adrain pipe 43 communicates with the. bottom-got theutank 10 to carry off. the sediment collected. The, drain pipe 43 may have a valve .44

thereinto control the'flow of water in the pipe. If suttend from the vertex of the funnel-shaped bottom. Such afunnel-shaped bottom will provide for more efiicient disposal of sediment. I also provide a drain pipe 45 which communicates with the bottom of tank 40 for disposing of any sediment that may be collected therein.

Drain pipe 45 may have a cooperating valve 46 for controlling the flow therethrough.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and highly novel apparatus for separating materials having different specific gravities. My submerged-type separating apparatus removes and discharges the lighter materials by use of siphon tubes. The use of siphon tubes entirely eliminates pumping of abrasives. In that the discharging abrasive materials move slower in the siphon tubes than it would in pumps, there is comparatively less wearing of the siphon tubes and requires only an absolute minimum of maintanence expense for my apparatus.

It should be obvious that, for a constant water level in the tank, the rate of flow through the siphon tubes will be substantially constant. The only variable that would tend to vary the flow is the friction between the moving solids and the siphon tubes. When the solids are suspended, and carried by turbulent water, this friction does not substantially change.

It should also be noted that I have provided in my apparatus for the delivery of all of the solids and water onto screens. The water is here separated from substantially all of the abrasive materials and then collected in a container disposed below the screens. The water is then recirculated back into the gravity separator by means of a single pump. This is the only pump used in my entire system and it pumps only water which is substantially free of abrasive materials.

It is also apparent that I have provided in my apparatus for accurate proportioning and blending of various quantities of cleaned gravel into mixtures which meet rigid blending specifications. The gravel discharged from my apparatus is therefore ready for sale and use.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a gravity separator of the submerged type being particularly adapted for cleaning and classifying gravel and the like which is mixed with other materials having various specific gravities, the combination of a liquidconfining tank; means for maintaining a liquid level in said tank; a number of separation beds shiftably mounted i in said tank below the liquid level therein for oscillatory movement; supply means for delivering such a mixture of materials to said beds; an oscillator connected to said beds to cause the mixed materials therein to move from the ingress ends toward the egress ends of said beds and to cause the lighter materials of the mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier materials; a number of materiaL carrying conduits for respectively discharging the layer of light materials from each of said beds, each of said conduits extending out of the tank and having its inlet end adjacent to the egress end of a bed and in spaced relation above therbottom thereof and having its outlet end disposed substantially below the liquid level in the tank, whereby the head of the liquid between the surface of the liquid and the outlet end of the conduit causes liquid to flow turbulently in close proximity with and through the layer of light material and into and through said discharge conduit, and whereby the flowing liquid carries the light materials with it; the heavy materials continuing to move in the bed toward the agress end thereof; and means for collecting the heavy materials from the respective beds and discharging the same to Without the tank.

2. In a gravity separator of the submerged'type being ber'of separation beds shiftably mounted in said tank and being submerged below the liquid level therein;

supply means for delivering a mixture of materials to said submerged beds, the materials having various specific gravities; an oscillator connected to said beds to cause the mixed material therein to move from the ingress ends toward the egress ends of said beds and to cause the lighter material of the mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier material; a number of siphon tubes each having its inlet end adjacent the egress end of a corresponding bed and in spaced relation above the bottom thereof, whereby said tube will remove and discharge the layer of light material from the layer of heavy material being disposed therebelow; the heavy materials continuing to move toward the egress end of the beds, and means for collecting and discharging the heavy materials from the respective beds to without the tank.

3. In a gravity separator of the submerged type being particularly adapted for cleaning and classifying gravel and the like, the combination of a liquid-confining tank; a liquid supply for said tank having valve means for maintaining a liquid level in said tank; a number of shallow, open top, separating trays shiftably mounted in said tank and submerged below the liquid level therein; supply means for delivering a mixture of materials having various specific gravities to one end of each of said submerged trays; an oscillator connected to said trays to cause the mixed materials to move from the ingress ends toward the egress ends of said trays and to cause the lighter material of the mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier material; a number of siphon tubes each having its inlet end adjacent the egress end of a corresponding tray and in spaced relation above the bottom thereof and being adapted to remove the layer of light material from the layer of heavy material disposed therebelow; the heavy material continuing to move toward the egress end of the tray, and means for collecting and discharging the heavy'materials from the respective trays to without the tank.

4. In a gravity separator of the submerged type being particularly adapted for cleaning and classifying gravel and the like, the combination of a liquid-confining tank; a liquid supply, means for carrying liquid from said supply into said tank and having valve means for maintaining a liquid level in said tank; a number of opentopped, shallow separating trays shiftably mounted in said 'tank below the liquid level therein; supply means for delivering a mixture of materials having various specific gravities to one end of each of said trays; a mechanical oscillator connected to said trays to cause the mixed materials to move from the ingress ends toward the egress ends of said trays, and to cause the lighter materials of the mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier materials; a number of siphon tubes extending into and out of said tank for removing the layer of light material from the layer of heavier material disposed therebelow in said trays, said tubes each having flow regulating valve mechanism therein and having its inlet end adjacent the egress end of a corresponding tray and in spaced relation above the bottom thereof; the heavy material continuing to move toward the egress end of the trays and being spilled thereover, means for collecting and discharging the heavy material spilled over the egress end of said oscillating separation trays; filters for receiving the wet agglomerate from the siphon tubes and for retaining the solid materials and passing the substantially all the abrasive materials removed .thererom,

5. In a gravity-type separator of the, submergedtype being particularly adapted forcleaning and 'classifying gravel and thelike, the combination of, a liquidrconfining tank; means for maintaining a liquidlevel in said tank; a plurality of perforate,- material-carrying and separating trays being horizontally disposed and-vertically spaced and being shiftably mounted in: said tank below the liquid level therein; supply means for delivering a mixture of materials having various specific gravities to one end of each of saidtrays; an oscillator connected to said trays to'cause the mixed materials to move from the ingress ends toward the egress, ends, of said trays and to cause the lighter materials of the mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier mixture; a number of siphon tubes for removing the layer of light. materials, from the layer of heavier materials being disposed 1there below, each of said tubes having flow-regulating means therein and each having an inlet housing; having-man elongated opening therein extending. laterally LOfla tray and so ostarltially across the width of the tray, said open: ing being adjacent the egress end of the corresponding tray and in spaced relation above the bottom-thereof; heavy material collectors being disposed. adjacentxand below the egress ends of the trays; means operatively associated with said collectors for discharging theiiheavy materials to without the tank;,and means associated-With said heavy material collectors foryproportioningiand blending predetermined quantitiessof the lvanouslzsizee graded heavy materials. 7

6. In a gravity separator ofthe submergeddype; being particularly adapted for cleaning and classifying gravel. and the like, the combination of a liquid-confining tank; means for maintaining a liquid level ingsaid tank;-.,a number of vertically spaced, open-top, substantiallyyrectangular separating trays being shiftably mounteddnlsaid tank below the liquid level, therein; supply- IDBBIIS;-.;fl delivering a mixture of materials having ,various spe:

cific gravities to one, endof eachof said trays; a.powered: oscillator connected to said trays causing;a reciprocating, movement of saidltrays in avertical directionand a di-p rection longitudinal of; the trays, whereby the mixedrma.=

terials are caused to moveifrom theeingress. CBClSntOe tray and substantially, across the. width 0f;the;;sarne,,. said slot beingdisposed llllSPZlCCdtIGlfiilOIl. abover.;.tlrei;

bottom-of the tray'and adjacent the,.egress;endrthereofiri the heavy material, continuing :to, move; P8St:.il16.ill1 l6f;. of the suction tubertowardgthe egress;;end;of.theitrays:., and being spilled thereovera, collecting hoppers; one,

being disposed adjacent and below the vegress end of each of said trays for receiving heavy :materials spilledrfromw said trays; blendingwreceptaclesbeing disposed :below:. said hoppers; conveying. means connecting each :of said. hoppers to various; blending receptacles; materialapros' portioning means mounted in each.of said hoppersfors proportioning the heavyr,materialslspillinge'thereinziand directing the same into;a blending:;:;r.eceptac1e;.means;

operatively associated with said blending receptacles for collecting-and discharging the blended heavy materials; means for, separating .and collecting the liquid discharged withsaid materials; and apump for recirculating liquid collected aftersthe same has had substantially all the abrasive materials removed therefrom.

7. In.a gravity separator of the submerged type being particularly adapted for cleaning and classifying gravel and the like which is mixed with other materials having variousspecific gravities, the combination of a liquid-confining tank; means.formaintaining a liquid level in said tank; a'separationbed shiftably mounted in said tank below the. liquidale el, therein :for oscillatory movement; supply meanssfor delivering such a mixture of materials to said ,bed;,.an:oscillator connected to said bed to cause the mixedmaterialatherein to move from. the ingress end towardthe egressrendpof thebed and to cause the lighter materials. ofiLthe mixture to rise in a layer above the heavier materials; a material-carrying suction housing spaced inwardlyfrom the egressrendof the bed and having a suction inlet; disposed belowthe liquid level in the tank and in spaced relation :above the. bottom of the bed; means producing: suctionpressure: insaid suction housing and discharging; liquid and .lightyweightmaterials to without the, tank,: whereby the materials, commence stratification as they move from the ingress end of the bed and the upper, light material layer is removedthrough the suction housing; and-.meanszfor collecting thevheavy materials from theabeduanddischarging the: same, to without the tank.

8; Ina :gravityi SPZUZIi0I.'Oft the submerged type being particularly adaptedfor. cleaning and classifying gravel and the like :Whichis mixed with other materials having various sp.eoific..gravities,- the-combination of a liquid-confining tank; means for maintaining a liquid. level in said tank; a separationI-bedshiftably mounted in said tank be low the liquid'leveltherein for oscillatory movement; supply means for-deliveringysucha mixture of materials to said bed; an oscillator connected to said bedto cause the mixed materials thereinto move from the ingress end toward the egressvendof said bed and to cause the lighter materials of the mixture' to trisein a layer above the heavier materials; anmaterial-carrying conduit for discharging the layer of light material from said bed, said conduit extending out of the tank and having its inlet end inwardly from the egress end of, the bed and in spaced relation above the bottom thereof andhaving its outlet end disposed substantially; below the liquid level in the tank, wherebytheihead of liquid between the surface of the liquidand the outlet end: ofthe conduit causes liquid to flow turbulentlyin-close proximity with and through the layer of light material and into and through said discharge conduit, and whereby theflowing liquid carries the light materials-with it; the: heavy materials continuing to move in the bedtoward the egress end thereof; and means for; collecting-moi heavy materials from the bed and discharging the same to, without thetank.

R'eferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,552 Tobey: May 19, 1896 927,885 Sherwood July 13, 1909 2,170,0691 Constant Aug. 22, 1939 

